Car truck



March 3, 1953 R. B. co'rTRELL 2,630,079

CAR TRUCK Filed Oct. 19. 1946 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 lllllllll llllllll -lNvENToR ROBERT B. COTTRELL www ATToR EY Patented Mar. 3, 1953 CAR TRUCK Robert B. Cottrell, Chicago, Ill., assignor to American Steel Foundries, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of New Jersey Application October 19, 1946, Serial No. 704,311

24. Claims.

My invention relates to hydraulic shoclr absorber control in railway carsuand more particularly to the novel arrangement of hydraulic snubbers or other fluid type of energy absorbing devices to control the movements `of the bolster relative to the truck frame. y LV The present invention contemplates the provision of a self-aligning, spring-plankless rail-A way freight car truck of the'type in which the side trames are free within controlled limits to adjust themselves to track conditions with the minimum of frictonal control and resistance between wheel flanges and rails. On entering curves, trucks of this type yield slightly to the external force tending to pull it out-of-square against the resistance of the bolster` springs to angular distortion, and on, reentering tangent track, the resistance of the springs to temporary distortion restores the truck to its normal square position.

One object of my invention is to provide various methods of arranging` and fastening hydraulic snubbers between the bolster and the relatively movable side frames of a railway car truck to control the diierent movements of said bolster relative to said side frames-and of the side frames relative to each other and at the same time eiectively snub any synchronous oscillations of the bolster-supporting springs.

Another object of my invention is to provide for curbing the nosing and the rolling actions of a railway vehicle.

A furtherobject of my invention is to'provide for mounting energy-absorbing devices between the bolster and side frames of a selfaligning, spring-plankless railway car truck that are responsive not only to curb the rolling or nosing movements between the car and the car truck but are also responsive to dampen any synchronous vertical oscillations of the springs supporting the car on saidtruck.

These and other objects of my invention will be apparent'irom the specification and the drawings wherein,

Figure 1 is a fragmentary sectional view of a self aligning, spring-plankless railway freight car truck embodying one form of my invention, the

section being taken substantially in the translshown in Figure l and showing the connection of the snubbing means to said portion and the bolster.

Figure 3 is a view similar to that shown in Figure l and showing an embodiment ci another form of my invention.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary side elevation or a railway car truck illustrating the position of the snubbing means shown in Figure 3 relative to the bolster-supporting springs.

Figure 5 is a view similar to that illustrated in Figure 1 and showing an embodiment of an other form of my invention, Figure 6 being a bottom plan View thereof and Figure '7 being a fragmentary sectional view taken in the diagonal plane substantially as indicated by line 'i--'l of Figure 5, the snubbing means, however, being shown in elevation.

Describing my invention in detail and referring iirst to the embodiment thereof as illustrated in Figures l and 2, the railway freight car truck comprises a truss type side frame having the compression member 2 oi box section and the tension member 4 with the integrally formed spaced columns (i, 6 defining with said vmembers the bolster opening 8.

Beneath the bolster opening the box section tension member i may have the inboard and outboard walls It and l2 and the top and bottom chords I4 and IS, The top chord ld may be widened to provide a spring seat for the springs i8, i8 diagrammatically indicated in Figure 1, said springs being held in position on said seat by means of the upstanding inboard and outboard flanges 2l) and 22 and the upstanding studs 24, 24 as may be observed in Figure l. On top of these springs may be seated in the usual manner the relatively shallow end portion 2G of the bolster 28. On the underside of the bolster intermediate the ends and center thereof may be provided the spaced central depending lugs 3G, 3Q, said lugs loosely receiving therebetween one end of the telescoping fluid type shock. absorbing devices 32, said end being pivoted to said lugs by means of the pin 3l extending therethrough.

The other end of the device may be similarly pivoted to the spaced lugs 35, 3s by means of the pin 33 on which may also be pivoted the rod D interconnecting theside frames.

It may readily be observed in Figure `2 .that the lugs 36, 36 are integrally formed on `the spring seat portion ofthe side. frame centrally thereof.

the bolster and the other side frame are similarly arranged to that described and are interconnected by a shock absorbing device and that these devices lie in upwardly converging planes and are inboard of the side fra-ine.

From the arrangement described, it will be appreciated that any synchronous oscillations i the bolster-supporting springs will be effectively dampened, the lateral movement or" the bolster effectively controlled, and to some extent the longitudinal movement thereof relative to said side frames restrained.

Referring now to Figures 3 and Ll, it will. be seen that the embodiment thereof is generally similar to that of Figures l and 2. The railway freight car truck comprises a truss type side frame having a compression member ist, a ten sion member Hifi, and spaced columns itt, ille joining said members and forming the bolster opening l therewith in which is received the bolster end lle of the bolster i l2, said end being supported by the spring l ld, l id diagrammatically illustrated and seated as at il on the -top chord l I8 of the truck frame box section tension member 10,4.

Centrally of the seating iace of the top chord L10 and integrally formed therewith are the transverse spaced lugs 20, ld, said lugs affordingl a. pivotal connection as atl 22 and ld for the corresponding ends in telescoping energy absorbing devices or snubbing means 25 and |28, respectively. It may be noted that the de vices are arranged in aV V, the apex ci which is at the lugs 20, 820 and lie in the vertical plane bisecting thebolster longitudinally. The

other end of the device lidi is pivoted to the lugs |30, i3@ formed centrally on the underside of the bolster adjacent the end thereof and the other corresponding end of. the device 25 is pivoted to the set of lugs I3? formed centrally on the underside ofA the bolster intermediate thecenter and end thereof, as may best be seen in Figure 3. It will be noted that the arrangement of the other half of the truck (not shown) is the, sameAH as, described.

As compared with the arrangement, shown in N Figures 1 andV 2, the arrangement of the snubbing means shown in. Figures 3 and 4 provides a greater amount of snubbing action for dampening synchronous oscillations of the bclstersup porting springs; greaterv control of the lateral I bolster end projecting into said opening in cooperative relationship with said columns, said.

movement and nosing of the bolster is providedto control rolling and nosing of the car, andv tosome extent the longitudinal movement ofthe bolster is restrained.

Figures 5 to?? illustrate another modification i. ofmy invention. The snubbing means 2e@ and 202 are identical to those already described and are arranged in an inclined inverted V, the apexof which terminates at the lugs 2cd, 2M,

a setof such lugs being disposed centrally on the` underside of the bolster intermediate the center and the ends thereof, as may be seen in Figure '7, wherein only one set of such lugs are shown inasmuch as the construction of the bolster and truck is similar at the opposite vside of theA center lines thereof. It may Valso be observed that thev snubbing means are inboard of the side frames.

A pin 206 extending through aligned openings inthe lugs 204, 204 and in the upper ends of the sn'ubbingfmeans 200 and 202 provides a Vpivotal connection between said means and lugs.

"The'lower ends of the snubbing means 2j0t5` and 20,2, which are spaced from each other, pivot on thepin 208 adjacentthe.oppositeQends thereof.;

l said pin extending through the spaced parallel lugs 2I0, 2li! integrally formed on the inboard side of the spring seat portion 2 l2 of he tension member 2M. A tie rod 2 I6 interconnecting the frames may also be pivoted on the pin 2te as at 218.

By the arangement just described, it may be observed that the snubbing means 200 and 2t? and that the identical means at the other end or the bolster (not shown) being similarly arranged, lie in upwardly converging planes and eiectively hold the bolster against lateral movcment relative to the side frames and also serve to dampen the Vertical oscillations of the bolstersupporting springs 220 diagrammatically illus trated in Figure 5 and, in addition, control the horizontal torsional forces that cause nosing twisting, and out-of-squareness or" the bolster relative to the side frames.

It is to be understood that I do not wish to be limited by the exact embodiments of the device shown which are merely by way of illustration and not limitation as various and other forms of the device will, of course, be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing irom the spirit of the invention or the scope ofl the claims.

I claim:V

l. An arrangement of shock absorbing means and having their corresponding upper ends secured to the adjacent set of lugs, and means on portions of said supporting members beneath said supported member pivotally connected to the corresponding lower ends of the adjacent ofv said devices, all of said devices lying in vertical plane substantially bisecting said'mov able member longitudinally.

2-. In a railway car truck, a side frame having compression and tension members andl spacer columns defining therewith a bolster opening, a

tension member having a widened top chord dening a spring seat, springs on said seat for support of said bolster end, a plurality oi' telescoping energy absorbing devices between said end and saidfseat, a pairY of transverse lugs centrally formed on said seat pivotally connectedl to thelower ends of said devices, other spaced setsy of lugs on the underside of said end and lying in a vertical plane substantially bisecting sail end longitudinally, one-set of said lugs being po' tioned. adjacent the outboard extremity of a g end and the other set of said lugs being disposed inboardly of Said one set or lugs, and

means connecting the other ends of said. devices to said other set of lugs.

3l fin arrangement of shock absorbing means in a. railway car truck com?` spaced relatively movable longitudinal s sporting members, a transverse movablemember having the opposite ends thereof spring-suppcrted on supporting members, spaced vsets ci securing lugs centrally disposed on the underside adjacent the ends of saidl @evenementen e,- bellf 0f abserbina aeaa'ove devices at each end of said movable member and arranged in a V with the apex of said V pointing downwardly and having the corresponding` upper ends secured to respective of said lugs, and lugs on portions of said supporting members beneath said movable member pivotally connected to the corresponding lower ends of said devices and holding them approximately together.

4, In a railway car truck comprising truss type side frames movable relative to each other and each having tension and compression members, spaced columns joining said members, a bolster extending between said frames intermediate said columns, a pair of shock absorbing devices at each end of said bolster` and pivoted'thereto and to the respective side frame and lying in a -vertical plane substantially bisecting said bolster longitudinally, each pair of said devices lying in upwardly diverging planes.

5. In a railway car truck, a bolster, a frame structure comprising spaced relatively movable side frames associated with the opposite ends of said bolster, springs on said structure supporting said bolster, shock absorbing mean interconnecting the ends of said bolster with said structure, said means being diagonally arranged and lying in downwardly converging planes and cooperating with each other for controlling relative Inovements of said side frames and movements of said bolster relative to said side frames.

6. In a railway car truck, a frame structure including a pair of relatively movable side frames each comprisingr spaced columns and an intervening bolster opening, a bolster end resiliently supported from each frame in its opening, and diagonally disposed energy absorbing means interconnecting each bolster end with the structure, the longitudinal axes of said means lying in the vertical plane bisecting said frame transversely and said bolster longitudinally.

.7. In a railway freight car truck, a pair of side frames each having a spring seat portion, a bolster extending transversely of the frames and hav-` ing its ends disposed above the seat portions, springs supporting the bolster at said ends from said portions, a pair of shock absorbers adiacent each end of the bolster disposed between said frames, each `pair of shock absorbers being ar ranged in upwardly converging relationship and disposed in a plane extending longitudinally of the truck and sloping upwardly toward the vertical longitudinal center plane of the truck, each pair of shock absorbers being connected at their upper ends to the bolster on an axis extending transversely of the bolster at a point adjacent the end thereof disposed approximately in the longitudinal vertical center plane of the bolster, and a tie bar extending at opposite ends between the shock absorbers of said pairs, each end of said bar being :connected by a common pin with the lower ends of the adjacent pair of shock absorbers to the inboard side of the adjacent spring seat portion.

8. In a railway freight car truck, a side frame comprising tension and :compression members and spaced columns defining a bolster` opening, a spring seat portion at the bottom of the opening, springs on said portion, a bolster extending transversely of the frame having an end within the opening supported on the springs, a pair of shock absorbers disposed at the inboard side of the frame and arranged in upwardly converging relationship and lying in a plane sloping upwardly away from the frame, a common pin connecting the lower ends of said absorbers to the inboard" 6, side of said portion, and a common pin connect-J ing the upper ends of said absorbers to the bottom of the bolster at a point disposed substantially in a central vertical longitudinal plane of the bolster.

9. In a railway freight car truck, a pair oi side frames each comprising a tension member with a widened spring seat intermediate its ends, a bolster extending between the frames and springsupported at its ends from the seats, a tie bar extending between the frames and pivotally connected to inboard sides of the frames at points centrally of the frames on axes extending longitudinally of the frames, and a pair of shock absorbers at the inboard side of each frame, the absorbers oi each pair being connected at their lower ends to the adjacent seat coaxially with the adjacent connection of the tie bar to the seat, the upper ends of the absorbers of each pair being connected together to the underside of the bolster at a point spaced inboardly of the adjacent side frame and being disposed substantially in the vertical longitudinal center plane of the bolster,

10. In a railway freight car truck, a side frame comprising tension and compression members and spaced columns defining a bolster opening, said tension member being widened between the columns to provide a spring seat, a bolster springsupported on the seat, inboard and outboard flanges on said seat merging with the columns,

two outer and two intermediate spaced lugs on. the inboard side of the tension member formed. integral with the same and with the bottom of` the seat and projecting inboardly therefrom, a

tie bar having an end extending between the in termediate lugs, a pair of shock absorbers at the inboard side of the frame, one of said absorbers having its lower end extending between. one of the end lugs and adjacent intermediate lug, the other absorber having an end extending between the other outer lug and the adjacent intermediate lug, and a pin extending through all of the lugs and said end of the bar and lower ends of N said absorbers affording a connection on an axis extending longitudinally of he frame, the upper end of said absorbers being connected together inboardly of the lower ends to the bottom of the bolster at a point located substantially on the vertical longitudinal center plane of the bolster. 50'

l1. ln a railway freight car truck, a pair of relatively movable side frames each comprising tension and compression members and spaced columns defining a bolster opening, springs in each opening, a bolster on the springs, and damping means including a shock absorber adjacent each trarne and diagonally arranged and connected at its upper end to the underside of the bolster at a point disposed in the longitudinal vertical center plane of the bolster and connected at its lower end with the frame whereby a triangular arrangement cf forces is afforded wherein the bolster aiords one force leg, the springs another and the shock absorber the third.

' l2. In a railway car truck, a bolster member, spaced side fra-Ine members movable relative to each other and associated with opposite ends of verging toward one of said `-members and coassortie if operating with each otherA to control the move-v ments of said bolster member relative to said side members and said side members relative to each other. Y

13. In a railway car truck, spaced side frames movable relativel to each other, a bolster extending transversely between said side frames and spring-supported therefrom, snubbing means. interconnecting each end of said bolster to the adjacent side frame and lying in converging planes for operative cooperation with each other for controlling various movements of said bolster. relative to said side frames and for controlling movements of the side frames relative to each. other, said snubbing means being connected to. said bolster adjacent a vertical plane bisecting the latter longitudinally.

i4. In a railway car truck, side frames movable relative to each other, each, frame having a compression member. a. tension member, and spaced columns dening a bolster opening, a bolster extending between said frames and having its ends disposed in said openings, springs in said openings seated on said tension members and supporting the bolster at its ends, diagonally positoned shockv absorbing means between said boister and tension members, means on said tension members for pivotally fastening the lower ends of said shock absorber means thereto and securing means on said bolster for pivotally connecting the upper ends of said shock absorbing means to said bolster, said shock absorbing means being operative to control movements of said bolster relative to said side frames and to control movements of said side frames relative to each other.

ld. In a railway car truck, a pair of side framesv movable relative to each other and includingseat. portiona a spring group on the seat portion of each frame, a bolster resilientiy supportedupon said spring groups, and an energy absorbing means disposed diagonally adjacent each spring group and connected to its related frame adjacent the portion thereof beneath the bolster connected to the underside of the bolster.

id'. in a railway car triicir,v a pair of side frames movable relative to each other and each having a spring seat portion, a bolster above said portions, a spring group between each portion and the bolster, andv energy absorbing means actingu diagonaily of each springy group and each being connectedl to and depending downwardly from the underside of the bolster adjacent the longitudinal vertical center plane thereof and connected at their other ends to their related seat portions` to control movements of the side frames relative to each other and relative to the bolster.

1'?. In a railway car truck, a pairof side frames.

movable relative to each other and each including a member having a chord providing a spring seat, springs on said seats, a bolster resilientlyl supported on said springs,vconnecting means integral with each chord, fastening means onthe. underside of opposite ends of the bolster vertically,` misaligned with respect to their related connect-y ing inea-ns,r andk diagonally disposed shock absorbing means between each chord and the underside of, saidbolster arranged to act in parallel withY said springs and connected to their respective fasteningv means and connecting means.

18. Inl a railway, car truck, a pair of relatively movableside frame members, a spring group on cach member, a bolster, member on said spring groups,Y and energy absorbing means connectedl to eachiframefmember beneath the bolster member and to the;y underside of said bolster member,

said means including a pair ofv shock absorbing devices arranged angularly to each other and lying in a plane disposed angularly to the plane ofsaid side frame members.

19. In a railway car truck, spaced side frames movable relative to each other, a bolster springsupported from Said frames, a set of independent energy absorbing devices adjacent each end of the bolster, the devices of each set being connected at a common point to the underside of the bolsterA and at spaced points to the adjacent frame beneath the bolster on a common axis, and a tie bar extending between said frames and pivotally connected to respectivev frames adjacent.

said devices.

20. In a railway car truck, a pair of relatively movable side frame members, a bolster member spring-supported therefrom, shock absorbingy means connected to the. underside of the bolster member and. to said frame Vmembers therebeneath, said shock absorbing means comprising pairs of telescoping shock absorbing devices each arranged in a V with the apex of the V directed toward one of said members.

2l. In a railway car truck, spaced relatively movable side frames, a bolster spring-supported therefrom, a plurality of energy absorbingv devices connected to tbe underside of the bolster at Substantially the longitudinal center line thereof and each connected to the adjacent frame beneath the bolster, each of said devices being arranged to act angularly to the major and minor axes of said bolster for resisting relative movements oi the side frames and torsional, longitudinal and lateral movements of the bolster relative the side frames, and a tie bar pivotally connected at opposite ends to respective frames adjacent said devices.

22. In a railway car truck, spaced relatively movable side frames, a bolster spring-supported therefrom, each oiAV said side frames comprising a seat portion disposed beneath the bolster, spaced lugs on the seat portion, a pivot element extend-- ing through said lugs, a shock absorbing meansY pivoted. on said element and pivotally connected to saidbolster, and a tie bar extending betweenV said frames and at opposite ends thereof pivoted on respective elements.

23. In a railway car truck, spaced relatively movabler side. frames, a bolster resiliently supported therefrom, each of said frames comprising a member beneath said bolster, lugs on the inboard side or" said member spaced transversely of the bolster, a pivot element extending axially transversely of said bolster connected to said lugs, a pair of shock absorbers each received between a pair of said lugs and connected at spaced points to said element and at a common point toV arranged in a V and pivotally securedbeneaththe bolster to the inboard side of the associated frame, said devices cooperatingwith each other e for controllingrelative movements of thev frames and various movements of said bolster relative to said frames.

ROBERT B. CO'ITRELL.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Lolley July 5, 1932 Number 10 Name Date Pager Nov. 1:9, 1940 Manning Apr. 1, 1941 Nystrom et al May 13, 1941 Paton Aug. 26, 1941 Latshaw Deo. 2, 1941 Barrows Jan. 6, 1942 Cottrell Apr. 25, 1944 Harwick Mar. 20, 1945 Pager Jan. 13, 1948 Beemer et al. Aug. 15, 1950 

